We are a young couple/parents and first time homeowners. So that should kind of explain our financial situation. lol I am blessed with a very smart and handy husband. A lot of things he will try to do himself first, and most of the time, he will complete it just as good (if not better than some) professionals.

With that said, he's interested in attempting replacing windows himself. That seems like such a big project to me, and something that should be done by a contractor, not because I don't think he would do it well, but because if something ever did happen, we can hold someone else responsible.

Does anyone know how to do this, or has attempted to do this before?

Thanks!

 

I've been in your situation most of my life
(I like the smiles)
anyway, I have done a few replacement windows, and even entire new windows. He can definitely do it, especially if he goes a route that does not require modifications to the existing opening. Replacement windows are even easier because they go in the existing jam. Just read the instructions several times before doing anything. Even if you replace the entire window, the big thing to remember is to leave some space all around the window ... again read the installation instructions. In my humble opinion, this is a doable handyman project for someone who is moderately talented and knows how to follow instructions well.

Mark

 

We do our own replacements and order the glass straight from the factory. We estimate that the job costs us 1/5 this way of hiring it done. I should clarify that we're usually just replacing glass and not the whole window, but the concepts are the same.

 

There are a lot of vinyl replacement windows on the market. Lots of DIY's are putting those in themselves. I've been installing the Jeld Wen brand from Home Depot in my own home. The Jeld Wen web site has instructions you can download. The instructions aren't particularly clear but they'll give you the idea. For some reason the instructions for sash windows, the ones that go up and down, are under the heading of pocket windows.

You might want to try some of the other manufacturers web sites for their instructions. Most remodeling books will have something on the topic. And you can ask more questions.

 

The principal behind installing replacement/pocket windows is pretty stragiht forward, it's the finishing part that gets many homeowners since the either lack experience or tools to properly finish the interior and essepcially the exterior so it all blends in/flows with the home. but as far as the removal/installation it's pretty straight forward.


Just be sure to consult whomever your going through to order the windows exactly how they want them measured. some want a tight measurement, other wants exact window size measurement that YOU want. I prefer to order the windows the way I want them since the ones I sell I can get them to the 1/8" where most homecenter brands your stuck to 1/4" increments and you must add or subract from your actual opening measurment s to get it "close" to what will actually work.

Just remember windows serve a huge job when talking about function and you typically get what you pay for, you either pay once now for a quality window, or pay twice later when you redo them in the future.

 

Thank you so much for the replies. We went ahead and asked for a few quotes from local companies and big box companies too. My husband is now really considering doing this himself.

My only question now is what's a good company to go with to order windows? Our living room has a very large window that faces the back yard. It's almost from ceiling to floor, and is about three windows (3 panes across) in length. So basically 9 panes across. Has anyone else had to put windows in like this? The only other spot in the house we have like this is our eat-in dining area which is only 2 windows across. Anyone know of a good website to help? I'm about to browse around a little bit more to see what is out there, but you guys are a great help!

Thanks so much!
PottersDaughter

 

If you only want to replace the shashes and jamb liners, go to Jeld-wen.com and do a search on replacemnt shashes. I used these on my house and they worked very well. The trick is to be able to accurately measure for the size required to determine if that is a stocked size. Good luck.

 

My wife and I are young, just had a child and of course the all famous 1st time homeowners. I work extremely well with my hands, and will do pretty much anything DIY. We are getting our windows next week tuesday. I originally went into this project determined to do it myself. Got a few quotes, went to lowes, home depot, etc. etc. Found my cost for windows and my quotes for prof. install weren't all that far off. The time and aggrevation of DIY windows, was well worth the extra, these guys will come in tuesday morning replace my windows, insulate, cap the outside and haul the rubish away and be finished wednesday afternoon. Doing it myself, I would have to do it around my schedule and would have probably taken me a month. Though I completely understand what it means to save a buck, there's not much I won't do. If I was stay at home dad, I would say I may have done it myself. I hope this helps you, good luck with your project and let us know how it all went.

Matt

 

Same boat as Matt. When my wife was expecting, I looked to get windows in our 80 year old house replaced. Appleby Windows came and wanted $1200 per window for vinyl replacements! They had the worst sales tactics I've ever seen. I had to walk the damn salesman out after two hours, and they called daily to bug me about new sales and incentives that "won't last long". Well, I decided to just get 2 vinyl replacement windows at Home Depot and do it myself in the baby's room. Easy enough--took about 2-3 hours per window to get all the trim and finish looking nice. I imagine future windows will be faster.

Well, the windows cost about $180 each. Figure about $10-$20 for expanding foam and other materials used, and each window was about $200 in raw materials. Just saw an ad for a local wholesaler that appears to sell Accu-Weld windows. Same as the Depot windows (low-e, etc), but also with polyurethane fill. They want $199 each installed! I need to add $20 for grills, and for another $40 they'll cap the outside of the window, something I can't do. Despite being handy, I just can't justify my time for this. Buying 25 windows will also require renting a truck or paying for delivery (more cost), and taking all 25 old windows to the dump (more time and cost).

Put it mildly--I think it may be cheaper to not DIY if these guys do a good job. We'll see--they are giving me a full estimate Monday.

 

I've never been a good salesman, I can do the work and provide excellent results but my sales technique sucks. I will go into the home, show my products, explain any benefits of the product and try to explain why they should go with us over company X and will further explain what they should expect from the other salesmen coming to meet with them. My estimates are based off actual job costs start to finish for product, a small percentage of mark up on the windows which is to be expected, lumber costs, and associated labor. 9 oout of 10 times when little things pop up I'll just eat it to save myself paperwork and headaches with the homeowners. In every case I drop off my estimate and let them be, if they want me to work for them they'll call. BUT in many cases slick salesmen walzt in with a great pitch, contract in hand and get signed on the spot, promising the world and then under delivering. What's worse is many of the promises are verbal and when the job is done you'lll get the "tough chit" attitude when you call to complain. Or the new system for businesses knowing 9 out of 10 homeowners could care less about quality and always go with cheaper, they will write up a simple under bid contract that is left open ended and then start tacking on for this and that, then once the job is done final price is waay above the typically highest estimate they got initally.

When these $199 per opening guys come over you will see first hand how the prices go up. I have a friend that's in this same market with a different brand of replacement windows marketed at $199 installed. it's typically upto a certain united inch, anything over and then prices sky rockets if your windows are larger than the advertised size they fail to tell you about. These prices are a marketing ploy to get the salesmen in your home and then that's where their skills come into play. If you want a comparable window to what they'll offer you, buy the base model Wenco window from Menards, that's what you can expect. American Crafstman from HD is'nt much better since they're using 20yr old technology. Typically windows are one area it pays to spend a lilttle more since you often get what you pay for-quality windows cost more as with anyting else. You cant buy a BMW for the price of a hyunda, same goes with windows. You can pay a little more now and reap the benefits, or you can pay to replace these again in the near future once you realize these cheaper ones do not perform very well.

 

I like to think I'm pretty good at smelling a scam. The $199 windows are actually for up to 101 UI, and the only options I wanted to add are grills for $20 extra per window (they were $12 at the Depot so I think that's reasonable). Any riders or extras they try to upsell me on will be tip-offs.

You can read my rant on Appleby here:
http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=256487

Let's put it this way--several companies I have called remind me of Appleby. They won't give me a rough idea of price because I "just have to see how great the windows are before I hear the price". That means, "We want to see how high we can jack up the price before you wince". Besides the over $1000 per window tipoff from Appleby, they were also willing to guarantee me energy savings in writing without doing a full home energy audit or even looking at my gas bill. What does that mean? It means that they were charging so incredibly much, that in the unlikely even I could prove I didn't save as much energy as they claimed, they could pay off their guarantee and still make out like filthy hogs.

I'll let you all know how the estimate goes from Window Wholesalers (selling Accu-Weld windows I am pretty sure).

 

OKay, an update to my previous post. I have had my new windows installed. Oh my god, I love em, no more sledge hammer to open the windows.

My old windows were old Pellas new in 59 w/ roll-up screens, I can't even begin to explain how much hell it was for these guys to get the old windows out, I am pretty good with my hands but would have been up **** creek if I would have tried to do it myself. They capped and insulated, cleaned up hauled away, I am all for DIY I love saving money and seeing my results, but this was way worth the extra money. Not to mention whomever purchases my house in the distant future will appreciate the professional clean install, I know I could have done as good of a job but how much time would it have taken? 2 days vers. 2 months w/my schedule. Now, I will do my own Vinyl Siding I have done it before and it is cake work.

Matt

P.S. My heating bill is a little more managable now, once I install my new slider next week it only gets better, good luck

 

Matt, good to hear you love the new windows and are noticing a difference already!!! Were the old ones still single panes? if so I imagine you noticed the house got quiter as well which is another plus to newer windows.

Seen you sig and noticed your "corn fed" too We have friends that live in Bettendorf and I actually pass through there twice a yr to race at Cordova

Josh

 

Yeah the old windows, were single pane with storm windows on the inside. So the quiet factor has most certainly come into play. Man, I haven't been to Cordova in years. Isn't it wierd how you can live far away and enjoy going to an attraction, however if you live close you could careless. But, that brings back some old memories.

 

LOL, I know exaclty what cha mean, but at least you live in an area that has things to offer. Round these parts aint nuthing better to do than watchin corn grow City council is full of crooks trying to milk every cent for anybody that wants to come into town so they always turn someplace else.

We have a blast every time we race down there, lot less pressure on me since I'm just racing for money/fun instead of like locally where it's money AND points. Good people down there everytime we go, Clinton stinks so we started staying at hotels on the IA side of the river now LOL!! What the heck do they make there anyways that's soo wreched?? Either way between the race track, river boat, restraunts, and hotels they get alot of "donations" from me every year

 

the city of clinton houses one of Ralston-Purina's largest dog food plants, and it stinks like ****. hahahaha

 

Not sure price necessarily equates to quality, just as you can pay a lot less than a BMW700 series by buying a Hyundai Genesis--and the quality is as good as it gets!